Bath Abbey is a vibrant parish church at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath. As the last great medieval church built in England, the Abbey has been a place of worship, welcome and wonder for more than 500 years. Today, it is home to a thriving gathered congregation from all over the city and surrounding area, supported by dedicated staff, talented choirs, and hundreds of volunteers, while also welcoming over 350,000 visitors from around the world each year.
Guided by our values—Welcoming, Sharing, Cherishing and Flourishing—we strive to be an inclusive, diverse, and caring community where all can contribute and grow. Recent investment through our ambitious Footprint Project has transformed the Abbey for the future, creating new spaces, improving sustainability, and enhancing our visitor and worship experience.
Joining Bath Abbey means becoming part of a place where heritage, hospitality and hope come together, serving the city, celebrating our shared story, and shaping the Abbey’s mission for generations to come.
The Role: Abbey Retail Manager
Operating within the 1920s Jackson extension to Bath Abbey, the Retail Shop Manager oversees the retail operation of the organisation. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for an experienced retailer to generate vital income to support the conservation, ministry, and fabric of the building while ensuring the retail environment remains a welcoming, intrinsic, and vital contributor to the overall visitor experience.
Retail operations are within the Abbey shop, but this role includes the strategic scope to introduce an e-commerce platform to reach the Abbey’s global audience. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration within organisation to drive footfall to the shop from both visitors to the Abbey and the wider UNESCO City of Bath.
To apply, please email a full CV and covering letter of no more than one A4 page which explains why you are a suitable candidate. Please include the details of two references. References will only be taken up once an offer has been made. The successful candidate will be required to undergo a DBS check and complete mandatory safeguarding training upon appointment.
For more information, please visit our website.
Notable dates
Deadline for applications: Friday 2 October,2026 at 1.00pm.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the vacancy may close before the advertised deadline. We encourage early submissions to avoid disappointment.
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Abbey Retail Shop Manager job description